Strainer



June 22, 1937. w. K. M FARLIN STRAINER Filed Sept. 21, 1935 2Sheets-Sheet l MF J INVENTOR WAZZLM A.

June 22, 1937. w. K. MOFARLIN 7,

STRAINER Filed Sept. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet? INVENTOR Patented Julie22, 1931 STRAINER I William K. McFarlin, East Orange, N. J.

Application September 3 Claims.

- "This invention relates to strainers and has particular references tosuch as are associated with the lower ends of pump lines or pipes whereI liquid is to be pumped out of places where drift, ice, and othermatter must be excluded from the pump lines.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, efficient, strong,and yet light weight strainer which will perform its functions proper,-ib 1y without any danger of damage or breakage due to contact with driftand ice and similar materials in use.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will moreclearly appear from a 1-6 consideration of the specification hereinafterwhen taken inficonnection with the accompanying drawings which form partof the specificationand which illustrate a present preferred form; ofthe invention.

Briefly and generally considered, the invention comprises a perforatecage-like strainer casing into which there projects a suction pipe to apoint at least half way down the height of the casing and in someinstances extends down to a 2 point very near the bottom of the strainercasing. The suction pipe extends centrally into the casing and there isan annular space between its sides and'the side Walls of the casing.Disposed in this intervening space are a plurality of bracing wings orplates which are preferably rectangular in shape and extend from thetopto the bottom of the casing. They are preferably welded at top andbottom and one side to the strainer casing and along at least a portionof the other side to the adjacent wall of the suction pipe. These wingsare preferably also perforate. They provide a very desirable andessential bracing and strengthening to the unit and also facilitate themore even and uniform flow of the liquid in and through the strainer tothe end of the suction pipe. By their means the unit is made so strongthat no formations of drift wood or heavy ice or other material canbreak the unit altho the weight of the unit can be made half as much asnormally would be the case without this bracing.

The invention further includes a construction whereby the top and thebottom walls of the casing are connected to the side walls to insurefurther strengthening of the unit as a whole. The extension of thesuction pipe to a point below the top of the casing also insures thatsuction will take place at a level which will cause the 55 least surfacedisturbance and therefore will re- 21, 1935, Serial No. 41,521

sult in the surface drift and float from affecting the intake to thesuction pipe.

The invention is illustrated in its present preferred form in thedrawings of which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section through the device, with portionsbroken away;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section taken through the device on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a detail enlarged section showing the manner in whichthe.bottorn and top walls are connected to the sides of the casing.

As shown in the drawings, the preferred present form of the inventioninvolves a suction pipe [0, which in the form shown has a flange l Iwith bolt holes I 2 by means of which it may-be fastened to any suitablepipe line such as a pump line. This suction pipe extends into a cagestrainer having perforate side Walls and perforate top and bottom walls14 and 15. The preferred form of the suction pipe and the cage straineris circular but it is to be understood that they may be square orrectangular or oval or any other suitable. or desired shape. The pipe [0in all cases extends down into the strainer to at leasthalf its depthand in some cases may extend down to a point very near the bottom of thestrainer. In the form shown theperforations in the side of the strainerl3 are elongated slots such as H3 and the perforations in the top andbottom walls are circular holes such as ll, the sizes and dimensions ofthese perforations being determined by the size of the strainer and thecircumstances under which it is to be used.

The top and bottom walls of the strainer are connected to the top andbottom edges of the side walls by being provided with lips such as 13which are alternately disposed above and under the wall or surface towhich they are connected as shown clearly in Figure 3. These connectionsare preferably Welded together. The top plate [4 of the strainer is alsowelded to the abutting edges of the suction pipe I0.

Disposed between the suction, pipe l0 and the side walls I3 of the cagestrainer are a plurality of bracing wing plates I9, which in the form ofthe invention shown are preferably rectangular in shape. They each abutthe under surface of the top plate M, the upper surface of the bottomplate [5, the inner face of the side walls [3, and the outer face of thesuction pipe II]. To these surfaces which they abut the wing plates l9are welded. These wing plates are preferably provided with perforationswhich as shown at 20 are of the same shape and disposition as the slotsor perforations in the side walls [3.

To further strengthen the unit, a series of bracing bars 2| are disposedbetween the top plate l4 and the under side of the flange l I. They arepreferably disposed at intervals and in a vertical plane with the wingplates l9. These bars are also preferably welded to the flange II, thesuction pipe Ill and the top plate 14.

In thus constructingthe unit, it is to be observed that I have provideda suction pipe projecting into a perforated cage strainer to at leasthalf the depth of the strainer; that the open area of the strainer ismany times the cross sectional area of the suction pipe; that the topand bottom plates are securely united to the side walls of the strainer;that the wings brace the entire unit so that the top and bottom walls,the pipe, and the side walls are held together as one strong integralunit even though their weight is at least half what it would be if thebracing were not employed.

Therefore, the invention produces an extremely light weight unit whichis even stronger than usual, with a suction pipe, the end of which iswell down in the cage so that the flow of fluid into it produces aminimum of surface disturbance. By having the end of the pipe at leasthalf way down the cage, it is further possible to get a better and moreuniform flow of liquid into the pipe from all the points of theperforated area of the cage. 7 The manner of welding the elementstogether gives a strong solid union to the parts which form them into anintegral whole so that even in streams or bodies of liquid in whichthere is a great quantity of drift wood or ice, the unit will operateefficiently and without any damage to it.

The use of the bottom edge of the radial wings to brace the flat bottomof the cage will permit this to be strong and also will enable muchlarger diameters of wall to be used than if they were not braced. Alsowith larger types of cages the number of wing braces can be increased sothat the spacing between the braces can be decreased to give thenecessary proportionate strength desired, while at the same timeemploying very light weight material. In extreme cases and under themost favor-able conditions, the weight of this unit may be only onethird of what it ordinarily would be without the employment of thishighly advantageous and practical invention.

It is of course to be understood that the sizes and proportions shown inthe drawings are optional and of only one preferred form of the unitsince local circumstances of use and service conditions will determinethe physical relations of the parts while still embodying the featuresherein described and claimed.

Therefore even while the invention has been described in detail and withrespect to a present preferred form thereof, it is not to be limited tosuch details and forms since many changes and modifications may be madein the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any andall forms and modifications of the invention which may come within thelanguage or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim is:-

1. In combination a cage strainer having perforated top, bottom, andside walls, the side walls having extending lips which are alternatelydisposed above and below the adjacent surfaces of the top and bottomwalls and fastened thereto.

2. In combination, a suction pipe, a flange thereon, a cage strainerbelow the flange and into which the end of the pipe projects, bracingbars disposed between the top'of the cage and the flange and connectedby welding to the top of the cage, the flange, and the pipe, a pluralityof bracing wing plates disposed within the cage between the walls of thecage and the pipe, the

bracing wing plates being disposed in the same respective verticalplanes as the bracing bars,

the bracing plates being perforated and welded to the top, bottom, andside walls of the cage} and to the abutting surfaces of the pipe,

3. In combination, a cage strainer having periorated top, bottom, andside walls, lips on one of the adjacent wall members adapted tolie;

